Kelly Thompson POV

"Thorne," I began, my voice a mere whisper but carried by the stillness of the night. "It need not end in death." My arm extended towards him, an offering etched with both defiance and compassion. The breeze played with my hair, carrying with it the heavy scent of pine and the metallic tinge of spilled lifeblood.

His piercing dark eyes, usually so cold, now flickered with an inner turmoil as they met mine. For a heartbeat, time hung suspended, the forest holding its breath. ...